ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Prime Minister's Office
PM’s statement prior to his departure for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
I am visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a day’s official visit on 29 October 2019. The visit is at the invitation of His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, King of Saudi Arabia for attending the Plenary Session of the 3rd Future Investment Initiative Forum being held in Riyadh.
During my visit to Riyadh, I will hold bilateral discussions with His Majesty the King of Saudi Arabia. I will also meet and discuss with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, HRH Mohammed bin Salman several matter of bilateral cooperation as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.
India and Saudi Arabia have enjoyed traditionally close and friendly relations. Saudi Arabia has been one of the largest and reliable suppliers of India’s energy needs.
The Crown Prince during his visit to New Delhi in February 2019 committed to invest over US$100 billion in sectors of priority in India.
Defence, security, trade, culture, education and people-to-people contacts are the other important areas of bilateral cooperation with Saudi Arabia.
During the visit, the Agreement for establishment of the Strategic Partnership Council will further elevate the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership to a new level.
I also look forward to my participation in the Future Investment Initiative Forum where I will speak about the growing trade and investment opportunities for the global investors in India as the country marches forward to a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2024.
Ministry of Mines
Cabinet approves issue of fresh equity to the extent of 15% of the paid up equity capital by Hindustan Copper Limited
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for issue of fresh 13,87,82,700 equity shares to the extent of 15% of paid up equity capital efface value of Rs. 5/- each by Hindustan Copper Limited through the Qualified Institutions Placement  route as per SEBI and other applicable guidelines.
As a result, Gol shareholding in HCL will come down from 76.05% to 66.13%. Further, the paid-up share capital of HCL will increase from the present Rs. 462.61 crore to Rs. 532crore. HCL will use the proceeds of QIP to meet its expansion/capex plan.
Impact:
The raising of fund is essential for HCL's expansion plans to achieve production level of around 1.90 lakh tonnes of metal in copper concentrate and thus meet around 30% of the refined copper demand of the country.
The proposed expansion plan would create employment opportunities for 9300 persons approximately.
Expansion projects of HCL are located in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.
Background:
Hindustan Copper Limited  is a Central Public-Sector Enterprise , Mini Ratna  Schedule-A company. HCL is the only company in India engaged in mining of copper ore, beneficiation, smelting & refining and downstream products. HCL is listed on the BSE and NSE. Increasing the mining capacity of HCL is essential to reduce dependence on import of copper by the country. HCL aims at enhancing its mining capacity around 6 times from its present production capacity to reach 202 lakh tonnes in next six years.
Ministry of Culture
Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism  Shri Prahlad Singh Patel plants trees to commemorate “SankalpParva”
On the call of Prime Minister, Culture Ministry is celebrating “SankalpParva” from 28th June to 12th July 2020
In order to commemorate SankalpParv, Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism  Shri Prahlad Singh Patel planted trees in Qila Rai Pithora and the National Archives of India in Delhi today. During his visit to Qila Rai PithoraShri Patel reviewed the revival work of monuments and while visiting National Archives of India he reviewed the restoration work related to Manuscripts being undertaken there.
Shri Patel said that rising to the clarion call of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Culture is celebratingSankalpParva from 28th June to 12th July 2020, where Ministry expects all its Subordinate Offices, Academies, attached Institutionsand affiliated Institutions to plant trees in its campus or in the surroundings wherever it is possible. He added that the Ministry of Culture recommends to plant five trees which have been identified by our Prime Minister and which represent the herbal heritage of our country. These trees are  “Bargad”  “Awla”  “Pepal”  “Ashok”  “Bel”.
Shri Patel also said that the organizations must ensure that each employee should plant at least one tree of his/her choice and over and above these five trees which should be planted as per the call of our Prime Minister. The Institutions must also ensure that the employee to take care of plant planted by them during the year so that it survives and flourish.
In continuation of commemoration of SankalpParv, Union Minister will plant trees at JantarMantar in New Delhi and at Pt. DeenDayalUpadhyaya Institute of Archaeology, Greater Noida tomorrow.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
From Durban To Tomorrow and Plus Minus swept the audience at MIFF2020
Directors Choodie Shivaram, Dylan Mohan Gray and Jyoti Kapur Das met the press today
Mumbai: 30 Jan 2020
Choodie Shivaram - “At the Altar of India's Freedom INA Veterans of Malaysia’ captures the stories of valour and sacrifice of the Malaysian Indians who, as teenagers then, fought for India’s freedom from the distant lands of Southeast Asia. Many of them had never even seen India but still remember their homeland and Netaji Subash Chandra Bose”, said director Choodie Shivaram while talking about her documentary.
In the film, one can see INA veterans detail their war experiences, training and the impact that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose had on their lives and young men and women hastened to support Netaji, leaving behind their homes, families and lives of comfort. The remarkable young women of the INA formed the Rani of Jhansi Regiment which was the first all-woman combat regiment in the world. Even to this day; these INA veterans who are nonagenarians continue to live by the lofty ideals of Netaji.
Dylan Mohan Gray
“From Durban To Tomorrow is a 40 minute documentary based on path breakers of human rights and health. It is shot in six countries and is helmed by five key protagonists who are pioneers in the field of health and sanitation”, said Dylan Mohan Gray. In the year 2000, mass protests of people living with HIV in the city of Durban, South Africa, radically transformed the global conversation about human rights in health, giving rise to a succession of unprecedented advances in public health for poor and marginalised communities all over the world. In the film, stories of five frontline advocates from different parts of the world add powerful dimension to this rapidly worsening crisis and the coming battle for a meaningful, universal human right to health.
Jyoti Kapur Das
Plus Minus, is an 18 minute short film starring Bhuvan Bam and Divya Dutta. "There was no deep thinking about the plot, the story just popped up and I made the film", said Jyoti Kapur while discussing about the plot of her film.
Plus Minus and At the altar of India's freedom are competing under the National Category and Durban to Tomorrow under International Category of 16th Mumbai International Film Festival.
K.S/DL/P.M
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Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Union Minister and renowned diabetologist Dr. Jitendra Singh says, right food regime plays an important role in disease control
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also a renowned Diabetologist, said here today that proper food regime prescribed for a diabetic patient can also be prescribed for healthy people so that they cannot catch the disease. Delivering the inaugural address, as chief guest on the topic “Digital Outreach for Knowledge Upgradation-Diabetes Specific Nutrition”, organized by Association of Physicians of India, he said, COVID has prompted us to discover new norms in adversity and underlined the importance of Indian Traditional Medicine System.
At the Webinar organized on the eve of World Diabetes Week, Dr Jitendra Singh said that ever since Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister of India, he has brought to the centre stage the virtues of indigenous system of medical management. He said, it was Modi, who brought a unanimous resolution in the United Nations to observe International Day of Yoga, as a result of which Yoga has reached virtually every household across the world. He also added that it was Prime Minister Modi again, who created a separate Ministry of AYUSH, considering the importance of indigenous medical management system, besides promoting Holistic Medicine.
While Corona has taught us to live with new norms, Dr Jitendra Singh said, it has also given the physicians a cue to emphasize on the non-pharmacological methods of management including hygiene etc which had somehow lost due importance in recent years. He noted, even after the COVID pandemic is over, the discipline of physical distancing and avoiding droplet infection will act as safeguard against many other infections as well.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said that country like India is on the verge of becoming a frontline state in post COVID era and North East Region will play an important role in it. He said, Bamboo as a new fuel of growth is fast gaining currency and bamboo products are becoming increasingly popular in tune with Prime Minister’s call of “Vocal for Local”. The Minister also informed the delegates that how the government of India by its latest decision on hiking the import duty by 20 percent on bamboo sticks paved the way for setting up of new Agarbatti stick manufacturing units in India, which was mostly imported.
President of Association of Physicians of India, Dr Arulrhaj in his welcome address said that API always believed in evidence based medicine. He said, due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital push API will soon become global.
In his address Prof. Shashank Joshi, Dean of Indian College of Physicians said that API DIAS was started in 2013 to bring experts from different fields in the country on different specialised topics with a common goal of alleviating the sufferings of the people.
President of Association of Physicians of India, Dr Arulrhaj, Dr.V.Mohan, Prof Shashank Joshi, Dr. Amit Saraf, Dr. Mangesh Tiwaskar, Shri Amal Kelshikar and other prominent medical professionals and speakers joined the Webinar.
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SNC
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Prime Minister's Office
Women’s Hockey team played with grit and showcased great skill: PM
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has said that today and through the Games, our Women’s Hockey team played with grit and showcased great skill at Tokyo Olympics 2020. He also said that he is proud of the team and wished the team Best of luck for the game ahead and for future endeavours.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said;
"One of the things we will remember #Tokyo2020 for is the stupendous performance by our Hockey teams.
Today and through the Games, our Women’s Hockey team played with grit and showcased great skill. Proud of the team. Best of luck for the game ahead and for future endeavours."
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
6090 MT of Onions arriving from Egypt in early December, Union Government assesses demand of States via video conferencing; Offers ex-Mumbai rate of Rs. 52-55 for procuring Onions from the imported stock
The Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs Shri Avinash K Srivastava today held video conferencing with State Governments to analyse their demand. The Secretary has also written a letter to Chief Secretaries of all States on 23rd November, 2019 in this regard. MMTC has placed order for the first consignment of 6090 MT of Onions from Egypt which will be arriving at Nhava Sheva , Mumbai. The Onions are being offered to State Governments for distribution at the rate of Rs. 52-55 per kilogram ex-Mumbai and will also be made available at the rate of Rs. 60 per kilogram ex-Delhi. State Governments may take the stock from the location on their own and also have the option of getting transportation facilitated through NAFED, if required. The supply of imported onions will begin from early December onwards.
For Delhi, while the demand from the State government is yet to be provided, NAFED has informed that it will retail onions through its own outlets and those of Mother Dairy, Kendriya Bhandar and NCCF. The total demand received so far from various State Governments for the 1st week is 2265 MT which includes demand from the State of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala and Sikkim and also includes the demand of NAFED for supplies in Delhi. Other States have been requested to indicate their demand at the earliest so that the same can be facilitated by the Union Government.
President's Secretariat
President of India Inaugurates the 2nd International Ambedkar Conclave
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the 2nd International Ambedkar Conclave today  in New Delhi as part of the commemoration of Constitution Day. The Conclave is being organised by the Forum of SC and ST Legislators and Parliamentarians and the Dr Ambedkar Chamber of Commerce.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that Dr Ambedkar’s long struggle for equality, constitutionalism and fraternity established him as a national icon. He received immense affection and respect because he communicated hope, self-confidence and self-esteem among traditionally disadvantaged communities and groups. He devoted his entire life to creating awareness among such sections of society.
Click here for President's speech
Ministry of Jal Shakti
Potable Water Problem in Rural Areas
Central Ground Water Board  is periodically monitoring the ground water levels throughout the Country on a regional scale, through a network of monitoring wells. In order to assess the decline in water level on a long-term basis, water level data collected by CGWB during November 2018, November 2019 and November 2020 have been compared with the decadal average November , November  and November  respectively . State wise details in this regard are given in Annexure.
To enable every rural household to have assured supply of potable tap water in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular and long-term basis by 2024, Government of India, in partnership with States, is implementing JalJeevan Mission  – HarGharJal, with an estimated outlay of Rs. 3.60 lakh Crore. Further, under JalJeevan Mission, provisions have been made for creation of in-village water supply infrastructure including source development/strengthening/ augmentation; and infrastructure for bulk transfer of water, treatment and distribution systems for water deficit drought-prone and desert areas without dependable ground water sources.
Government of India launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan  in 2019, a time bound campaign with a mission mode approach intended to improve water availability including ground water conditions in the water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India. Further ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan – Catch the Rain’ campaign has been launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on 22 March 2021.
Central Ground Water Board  is implementing National Aquifer Mapping and Management program , which envisages mapping of aquifers , their characterization and development of Aquifer Management Plans to facilitate sustainable management of Ground Water Resources in the country. The State-wise information is shared with States/Uts for implementation.
Government of India is implementing AtalBhujalYojana , a Rs.6,000.00crore Central Sector Scheme, for sustainable management of ground water resources with community participation. AtalJal is being implemented in 81 water stressed districts and 8,774 Gram Panchayats of seven States viz. Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Water being a State subject, initiatives on water management including water conservation/ water harvesting and making available potable water in the Country is primarily States’ responsibility. However, the important measures taken by the Central Government in this regard are available at the following URL:
http://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps_to_control_water_depletion_Feb2021.pdf.
This Information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti & Tribal Affairs, Shri Bishweswar Tudu Rajya Sabha today.
UPSC
Recruitment Results finalized by UPSC in September, 2019
The following Recruitment Results have been finalized by the Union Public Service Commission during the month of September, 2019. The recommended candidates have been informed individually by post.
Click here for details
Ministry of Defence
Rescue & relief operations by BRO in flood-hit Himachal Pradesh
Key Highlights:
- BRO deploys its personnel and equipment to clear landslides in different places
- Restores traffic in Manali - Sarchu road
- BRO teams rescue stranded people and move them to safer locations
- Two BRO personnel lose their lives in the operations
Border Roads Organisation  is carrying out rescue & relief operations in Himachal Pradesh that is witnessing flash floods and landslides due to heavy rainfall. In the Lahaul & Spiti Valley, the strategic Manali - Sarchu road was closed for traffic at various places due to multiple landslides. BRO’s Project Deepak located at Shimla immediately despatched its trained Engineering Task Force with personnel and equipment to undertake the rescue and road clearing operations.
On July 29, 2021, on one such stretch near Sarchu ahead of Baralachala pass on Manali Leh road, a number of civilians, including women and children, were stranded and facing problems due to lack of oxygen in inclement high-altitude conditions. The BRO team cleared the landslide, amidst a series of other landslides, near Kenlung Sarai located at an altitude of 14,480 ft and rescued the people. However, Naik Reetesh Kumar Pal of Project Deepak, who was part of the rescue efforts, lost his life. The road was, later, opened for traffic.
In another incident on July 27, 2021, a separate Engineer Task Force of BRO was deployed for clearance of Kiler–Tandi road which was blocked due to heavy landslides. Two passenger vehicles were stranded in the area. The team, which had already cleared two landslides enroute, carried out a late night clearance operation to save lives of civilians stranded in the slide zone. During the operation, some members of the team, six civilians and a civil vehicle were washed away by a sudden flash flood. Junior Engineer Rahul Kumar lost his life in the incident, while others were rescued by the BRO personnel.
The BRO personnel, later, cleared the landslide, rescued the stranded passengers and moved them to safer locations.
Prime Minister's Office
Text of PM's address at the G-20 summit Side Event: Safeguarding the Planet: The CCE Approach
Your Majesty,
Excellencies,
Today, we are focused on saving our citizens and economies from the effects of the global pandemic . Equally important is to keep our focus on fighting climate change. Climate change must be fought not in silos but in an integrated, comprehensive and holistic way. Inspired by our traditional ethos of living in harmony with the environment, and the commitment of my Government, India has adopted low-carbon and climate-resilient development practices.
I am glad to share that India is not only meeting our Paris Agreement targets, but also exceeding them. India has taken concrete action in many areas. We have made LED lights popular. This saves 38 million tons of Carbon Dioxide emissions per year. Smoke free kitchens have been provided to over 80 million households through our Ujjwala Scheme. This is among the largest clean energy drives globally.
There are efforts to eliminate single-use plastics; Our forest cover is Expanding ; The lion and tiger population is increasing; We aim to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030; And, we are encouraging a circular economy. India is making next-generation infrastructure such as metro networks, water-ways and more. In addition to convenience and efficiency , they will also contribute to a cleaner environment. We will meet our goal of 175 Giga Watts of renewable energy well before the target of 2022. Now, we are taking a big step ahead by seeking to achieve 450 Giga Watts by 2030.
Your Majesty,
Excellencies,
The International Solar Alliance is among the fastest growing International Organisations, with 88 signatories . With plans to mobilise billions of dollars train thousands of stake-holders, and promote research and development in renewable energy, the ISA will contribute to reducing carbon foot-print. One more example is the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
18 countries - including 9 from among the G20 - and 4 international organisations have already joined the Coalition . CDRI has started work on increasing resilience of critical infrastructure. Infra damage during natural disasters is a subject that has not got the attention it deserves. The poorer nations are specially impacted by this. Therefore, this Coalition is important.
Your Majesty,
Excellencies,
This is the best time for further increasing research and innovation in new and sustainable technologies. We should do so with a spirit of cooperation and collaboration. The entire world can progress faster if there is greater support of technology and finance to the developing world.
Your Majesty,
Excellencies,
For humanity to prosper, every single individual must prosper . Rather than seeing labour as a factor of production alone, the focus must be on the human dignity of every worker. Such an approach would be the best guarantee for safeguarding our planet. Thank you.
Ministry of Defence
World Environment Day Commemorative Activities at Southern Naval Command, Kochi
The Southern Naval Command  observed World Environment Day on 05 Jun 20 with emphasis on ‘Biodiversity’.The event witnessed active participation from the naval community,adhereing to social distancing and COVID-19 safety protocols.
At Kochi, more than 3500 saplings of different varieties presented to SNC by Dr Meenakshi, Conservator of Forests were planted by the participants. Vice Admiral A K Chawla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, SNC, Commodore Anil Joseph, StationCommander, Kochi Area, along with Dr Meenakshi led the plantation drive inside Naval Base areaA ‘Clean-up’ drive with emphasis on removal of plastic waste inside Naval Base and surrounding areas was also undertaken.As part of the programme, the participants cleaned the Venduruthy channel, ofthe non-biodegradable items. Similar events were also conducted at other outstation naval units located at Ezhimala, Coimbatore, Goa, Jamnagar in Gujrat, Lonavla in Maharashtra, Chilka in Odisha and Malad at Mumbai. In addition, coastal cleanup was also undertaken at Fort Kochi.
Children of the Navy Children School and KVs actively participated inthe event through online lectures and webinars. Ladies of Navy Wives Welfare Association  also undertook plantation drives and extensively utilised online platforms to spread the message of “Responsibility towards our Environment and Biodiversity”.The ban on plastic was reiterated and the children present, took a pledge to use only bio degradable carry bags.
Vice Admiral AK Chawla while interacting with the participants, appreciated them for their whole hearted efforts and encouraged them to create and nurture a sustainable and healthy ecosystem for our future generations.
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